The Nigerian Defence Headquarters says the operational activities of the Nigerian troops have been yielding positive results as a total of 13,243 terrorists and their families comprising 3,243 adult males, 3,868 adult females and 6,234 children, have surrendered to troops at different locations in the North East.
The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Bernard Onyeuko who disclosed this during the bi-weekly news briefing in Abuja, said the results was recorded between 1st and 14th, October 2021.
Brigadier General Onyeuko said “the series of land and air operations conducted in different locations across the North East theatre have reduced the operational capabilities of the insurgents”.
According to him, ”within the period, several terrorist elements were neutralized and several others arrested alongside their informants and logistics suppliers.”
Consequently, more terrorists have continued to lay down their arms and surrender to own troops with their families as they could no longer withstand the offensive operations within the theatre.
Furthermore, the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI carried out air interdiction missions to foil BHT/ISWAP criminal elements’ attack on ground troops’ location at Aulari village in Bama LGA of Borno State.
General Onyeukoe said during the encounter, “three of the terrorists’ gun trucks were destroyed together with their occupants and another was immobilized, while several other terrorists flee in disarray with varying degrees of wounds”.
He noted that the troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI within this period in focus, dominated the operations theatre with aggressive fighting patrols and other kinetic operations with the support of intensive air operations executed by the Air Component.
According to him, some of these operations resulted in the rescue of kidnapped civilians, neutralisation of armed bandits, recovery of arms and ammunition as well as arrest of some criminal elements within the period.
Significantly, some of these successes were recorded at Jibia – Katsina Road, where some civilians were rescued.
Relatedly, troops arrested some notorious armed bandits’ collaborators who have been on the watch list of security agencies namely; MamudaAliyu Dangulbi, Rilwan San Dangulbi, Yusuf Adamu Dangulbi and Yakubu Umar Maihuja at Dangulbi village in Maru LGA of Zamfara State. These arrested criminals and items recovered have been handed over to appropriate prosecuting agencies for necessary action.
In the course of these operations, troops rescued a total of 4 kidnapped civilians, neutralized 5 armed bandits, arrested 4 bandits’ collaborators and recovered 7 AK-47 rifles and275 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition among other items and motorcycles.
The Acting Director said that “troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN have used Kinetic and non kinetic operations to deny criminal elements freedom of action”.
He stated that some of the troops’ kinetic operations led to the arrest of criminal elements, recovery of arms/ammunition and livestock as well as impounding of drugs among other items.
General Onyeuko further explained that ”troops’ swift response to distress calls also helped in thwarting/foiling as well as repelling of criminal elements and rescue of victims within the period. Also, a total of 11 kidnapped civilians were rescued, 41 criminal elements arrested, 11 assorted arms including AK-57 rifles, locally fabricated rifles, pistols and SMGas well as 446 assorted ammunitions and 267 livestock were recovered in the course of the operations within this period.”
He noted that on the non-kinetic activities, Operation SAFE HAVEN engaged youths in sporting activities at different locations of the theatre as well as held peace and security meetings in its area of responsibility.
The General said in Operation WHIRL STROKE, “troops sustained their aggressive postures by executing both kinetic and non-kinetic operations in the North Central Zone as some of these operations yielded significant results at some locations within the period under review”.
These include arrest of some criminal elements and recovery of arms and ammunition during raid, clearance and ambush operations.
Also, within the period, a total of 22 arms, including AK-47rifles, MGs, and locally-made pistols and 461 rounds of ammunition were recovered, while 15 criminals including armed bandits, herders and drug peddlers were arrested and 4 kidnapped Civilians were rescued in the course of the operations.
Similarly, the troops of Operation DELTA SAFE have sustained operations to forestall the activities of economic saboteurs and other criminal elements in the South-South Zone. Within the period in focus, troops continued to track illegal oil operations in the Zone by conducting land, maritime and air patrols as well as raid operations on criminal enclaves.
In the course of the operations, troops discovered and deactivated a total of 51 illegal refining sites.
The sites cumulatively had a total of 76 ovens, 52 cooking pots/boilers, 22 cooling systems, 102 reservoirs, 16 large dugout pits and 513 storage tanks as well as drums and sacks laden with illegally refined oil products. Additionally, 23 criminal elements were arrested and 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 5 cartridges, 2 AK-47 rifles, one double-barrel gun, one pump action gun and 3 locally-made pistols among other items were recovered in the course of the operations in the Zone.
Meanwhile, the Military High Command has commended the sacrifices of its troops and salutes their courage and resilience towards achieving sustainable peace in the Country.